WINTHROP — When the Winthrop/Monmouth Ramblers were slugging their way through a gauntlet of a schedule in September, their offensive weapons were limited.
Not anymore.
Friday night the Ramblers showcased their one-two punch at the running back position in defeating Maranacook 35-14. The win completed an undefeated season and a Campbell Conference title for the first-year combination program.
Seniors Zach Glazier and Jake Weeks combined for 158 yards rushing and three touchdowns as the home team racked up 294 yards on the ground. The duo only had 18 carries before being shut down at halftime with the Ramblers (8-0) up 28-0.
“People don’t realize that Jake is just has explosive as Zach,” Winthrop/Monmouth coach Joel Stoneton said. “It’s a two-headed monster.”
The Black Bears (4-4) packed the middle of the field with eight men in the box. While they shut down the inside game early, they left themselves wide open on the edge. Glazier and Weeks didn’t take long to take advantage outside.
The Ramblers went 81 yards in 10 plays on their first drive with bursting off tackle for eight yards and then sweeping to the outside for a 28-yard gain to set up the first score. One play after the long gain by Glazier to the left, in came Weeks. He took a toss around the right side and raced the end zone for a 13-yard score.
After the next drive stalled at the Maranacook 25, Dakota Carter recovered a Kyle Morand fumble to set the Ramblers up deep inside Black Bear territory. A 19-yard square out from D.J. McHugh to Brandon Goff was followed by a 7-yard touchdown run from Glazier and the Ramblers were up 14-0.
Marancook tried to answer on the following series when Morand orchestrated a drive that went 10 plays and advanced as far as the Winthrop/Monmouth 19. The drive stalled with Morand was sacked by Phil Rowe, John Sullivan and company on fourth down.
The Ramblers’ offense quickly went back to work with their Dynamic Duo in full force. Weeks began the drive with a hard, barreling run of 18 yards over the left side. Two plays later, it was Glazier for four yards. A few plays later, Glazier went for four more and then picked up nine yards on a toss to the left. It was Glazier and Weeks alternating play after play to the huddle.
The drive culminated when Jared Hanson hit Mario Meucci over the middle for an 11-yd gain, but just as he bulled his way to toward pay dirt, the Black Bears punched the ball away from the junior tight end. As the ball bounded into the end zone, Meucci ripped the ball out of a scrum of players and recovered it for the score.
Later in the half, the Ramblers were rolling again with Glazier running around the right wing for 15 yards, Then it was Weeks’ turn as he took a toss from Hanson and ripped over the left side for a 16-yard gain. After Glazier gained six more to the left, Weeks raced around the right side for a 12-yard score.
“It’s an awesome feeling,” said Weeks who was injured early in the season and wasn’t a factor until week three.
“It’s deadly to have two running backs that run the ball well,” added Glazier who finished with a team-high 94 yards rushing. “It’s nice to have that rest break every other play. Hopefully we can build on this.”
Winthrop/Monmouth increased its lead to 35-0 on a 14-yard run by junior Zack Phinney early in the third quarter.
Maranacook was beaten physically as well, ending the game with just 18 healthy bodies.
“Tonight was brutal,” said Maranacook coach Joe Emery. “We lost three starters tonight, two to concussions and one to a broken collarbone.”
The Black Bears scored twice against the Ramblers’ second string with Morand hitting Peter Prescott for an 11-yard score while Jake Gibson tacked on a 1-yard score. Morand finished with a game-high 96 yards rushing.
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